Can't Miss: When a DJ spins "Summer of '69,” everybody in the joint sings every note, every single time.

To Avoid: Streets around Temple Bar well after closing, when Irish fists are flying.

Tipping: 15%-20% for good service.

The magical city of Dublin is the beating heart of her Republic, responsible for the pulse of the proud Irish blood, and a 1,000-year-old rhythm section that turns and cycles one of the most celebrated cultures on the planet. The outside world tries to prepackage Ireland into St. Patrick's, into mischief-minded sprites, into good luck charms. However, this city -- from her oldest traditions to her freshest trends -- is much too tough for that. Dublin is a bare-fisted boxer with a big grin, a world-class city of the working class; a place where, as Conor Cruise O'Brien wrote: "If you witness the death of a sparrow, you'll see God witnessing it with you."

The Guinness Storehouse, on the grounds of the St. James Gate brewery in the middle of the city, is Dublin's top tourist attraction, offering larger-than-life exhibits extolling the history of Ireland's most famous export. You’ll wind your way upstairs, finally landing at the Gravity Bar, where you can drink a pint of the black stuff and lord over a 360-degree city view that exposes one of Dublin's most peculiar -- and refreshing -- features: its cityscape, or lack thereof. Sitting just 130 feet off the ground in the Gravity bar will convince you that you're atop the summit of this skyscraper-free city.

The night comes to life both around St. Stephen's Green and in the Temple Bar, the latter an area packed with pubs and spotted with street performers. Yes, it's touristy, but in the same way an Irish accent can brighten any English word, in the hands of Dubliners “touristy” is not a slight.

In the people of this city you have two characteristics coming together like nowhere else in Europe: youth (Dublin is one of the youngest cities in Europe), and friendliness (Dublin has twice been voted Europe's friendliest city). Furthermore, it's a vibrant center of research and education, with numerous institutes of higher learning that attract some of the brightest minds in their fields. There's also no shortage of sports, teams and sporting events; Dublin hosts massive Croke Park along with six FAI League of Ireland football clubs. Meanwhile, residents enjoy a mild climate that rarely swings too widely to any extreme.

One major drawback concerns the green -- not the color or Ireland's long association with it, but the cost of living. Dublin has, in a rather short time, become one of the world's more expensive cities, a feature noticeable almost everywhere you go. And since the city builds “out” and not “up,” desirable city real estate costs are soaring along with commute times.